After Mayor Kevin Johnson formally announced that Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle were the "whales" leading a Sacramento group trying to buy the Kings and keep them in town, the vibe over the team's future seemed to have brightened, even if the odds still remained long.

Everywhere I go these days, folks want to know the same thing – "So, are the Kings staying now?" and "KJ saved the team, right?" – as if I have some inside knowledge.

The mayor whispers in plenty of ears around town, but I'm not on his insider list, and I have no more information than anyone who reads the extensive coverage in The Bee. (Really, you conspiracy folks, we're not holding back.)

Like the rest of Sacramento, all I can do is speculate, because we don't know details of the Seattle bid or the one submitted by the Sacramento group.